The ibis-billed sandpiper (scientific name Ibidorhyncha struthersii) is 40 cm long and is a grey, black and white sandpiper. The identified features are red legs and mouth, long and curved mouth. A black-and-white horizontal band separates the gray upper chest from its white lower part. The underwings are white with large white spots in the center of the wings. The juvenile has yellow scaly stripes on the upper body, the black markings are not very clear, and the legs and beak are nearly pink. It inhabits rocky, fast-flowing rivers at an altitude of 1700 to 4400 meters. When showing off, the posture is squatting, the head is extended forward, and the back of the black crown is raised. It mainly feeds on worms, centipedes, insects and insect larvae such as ephemera, hairy winged order, isoptera, hemiptera, coleoptera, hymenoptera and other insects. It also eats small fish, shrimp, and mollusks. The breeding period is from May to July, 3 to 4 eggs are laid per clutch, and the male and female take turns to incubate the eggs. It is found in China, Central Asia, himalayan countries to Assam, India.
Appearance characteristics
The partridge's forehead, crown, face, chin, and throat are all black, forming a contiguous patch of black spots, surrounded by narrow white edges. The back of the neck, the sides of the neck, the front neck and the upper chest are bluish grey. The chest has a broad black horizontal band, and a narrower white band between the black band and the gray of the upper breast, and the rest of the lower body under the black band is white. The entire upper body such as the back and shoulders are grayish brown. The wing feathers are dark brown with white spots on the inside, and the base of the medial primary and outer secondary flight feathers are white, forming a large white spot on the wing. The inner flight feathers are greyish brown. Large and primary coverts are dark brown. The middle and small coverts are greyish brown. The wing margins are white. The upper coverts of the tail are dark brown , and the surface of the feathers is slightly stained gray. The tail feathers are smoky grey with narrow gray-black wavy transverse spots and broad black-brown secondary spots, and the outer tail is white with wide black transverse spots. Winter feathers are similar to summer feathers. But the face has a slightly unclear white feather tip.
Juveniles are similar to adult birds , but have white or black-brown faces with many white tips. The chest strap is also dark brown, and the white chest strap is missing. The upperparts are brownish with orange-skinned yellow feathers.
Iris red. The mouth is long and curved fairly downward, curved, and the color is bright red during the breeding season and dark red in other seasons. The feet are bright red during the breeding season and greyish-pink in other seasons. The young birds are embellished with green.
Size measurement: weight male 253 to 292 g, female 293 to 337 g; body length male 370 to 412 mm, female 381 to 442 mm; mouth peak male 71 to 78 mm, female 80 to 84 mm; wing male 225 to 241 mm, female 230 to 242 mm; tail male 113 to 131 mm, female 113 to 126 mm; tarsal male 45 to 56 mm, female 47 to 57 mm.
Habitat
Its natural habitats are mountainous, plateau and hilly areas along streams and gravel-rich rivers. The altitude of the distribution ranges from offshore sea level in the east to alpine areas of about 4500 meters in the west. In winter, it is more active in the foothills of low altitudes.
Habits of life
Resident birds and migratory birds that migrate vertically. They often move and feed alone or in small groups of 3 to 5 on gravel beaches and on the beaches on both sides of the river. Sometimes they also wad into stomach-deep water, sticking their heads and necks into the water to feed. Sexual alertness, the slightest noise, that is, crouching still, until the danger is approaching, only to quickly walk away or take off to escape along the zigzag path between the gravel. It mainly feeds on worms, centipedes, insects and insect larvae such as ephemera, hairy winged order, isoptera, hemiptera, coleoptera, hymenoptera and other insects. It also eats small fish, shrimp, and mollusks. They often find food in small groups of 2 to 3 individually or in small groups of 2 to 3 on the gravel beach by the river, using their long, curved mouths to explore the crevices of the gravel, or to put their mouths obliquely into the cave to catch food. Sometimes it also pecks directly on the ground or on the surface of the water, and sometimes even wads into the deep water, sinking the head and neck into the water, and using the long, curved mouth to probe the bottom of the water for food.
Distribution range
It is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Western Xinjiang, western, southern and eastern Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan and northern Yunnan. The bird is found in Xishuangbanna (southern Yunnan).
Breeding methods
The breeding season is from May to July, and the nest breeds in pairs. From the beginning of April to mid-April, the male begins to whine and chase the female. Pairs form at the end of April and the beginning of May, and nests begin in pairs. They usually nest on small islands between gravel on the banks of rivers or in mountain streams. The nest is very simple, mainly in a shallow pit between the gravel, without any bedding, or only some small cobblestone. 3 to 4 eggs are laid per clutch. The eggs are greenish-gray or grey in color and covered with yellowish-brown spots. The eggs are 46 to 53 × 34 to 38 mm in size. Males and females take turns incubating the eggs.
Subspecies differentiation
Single species, no subspecies.
Population status
The species has a wide distribution range, is not close to the fragile endangered threshold standard for the survival of the species (distribution area or fluctuation range is less than 20,000 square kilometers, habitat quality, population size, distribution area fragmentation), the population trend is stable, so it is evaluated as a species without survival crisis.